Spacer



yas

Patented Aug. 4, 1931Y i UNITED STATES PATENTV, OFFICE EMIL E. HAWKINSON, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AssIGNoR To WESTINGHOUSE 'ELEC-fie: TRIC a MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CoItroItA'IIoN OF PENNSYLVANIA Y sPAcIszIty Application mea september 59; 11921. Serial No. 218,378.

My invention relates to processes of making-all arts of the wall of the mold 4, sov that a reinforcing concrete structures and has particular relation to means for supporting a reinforcing cage and spacing 'it away from x the mold in which it is placed.`

An object of my invention is to provideV means for spacing the reinforcing cage employed in centrifugally forming concrete poles away from the mold used in forming the concrete. i

Another object of my invention is to provide a spacer such that the surface layer of the concrete is not chipped and broken away because of the presence of the metallic spacer near the surface thereof. y

Another object of my invention is to provide a spacer which is not noticeable onV the surface of the concrete pole and which does f the manner in which the spacer engages the (Fig. 5)

reinforcing rods and spiral wrapping wire of a reinforcing cage;

l held and reinforced by a helical wrapping of heavy wire 2. The heavy Wire and the rods are fastened together yat their junction points by a tie 3 of lighter wire.

In a reinforced concrete pole construction of the usual type, it is necessary that the reinforcing cage be equally spaced away from bonded together byzthe concrete'. My spacer A further object of my invention is to yinforcing cage (Fig: 2).

Fig. 3 is a view, in side elevation, of a spacer as it appears before application to the uni u orm thickness of concrete may be secured between the reinforcing cage andthe outer surface of thev pole-and alsov it isydesirable that the reinforcingfcage be properly spaced i in Order to avoid unequal centrifugal stresses, Yduring'the spinningprocess.

- The outer portion of 'the concrete pole is usually composed of colored granite pebbles 5 .is provided with Iatriangular shaped por-V tion 6 the apex of which engages the mold so that the spacer appears at the surface of the finished pole only as" a small point that is inconspicuous among the colored' pebbles. @2" The'spac'er may be made of`any malleable metal andthe metalv may ybe galvanized or plated to preVentrust-ing but it is preferably v madeof copper so that there isflittlepossibility that the portion of the spacer which ap- 3io pearsat the/'Surface ofthe pole win oxidize anddiscolor the pole,4 V f c @.Myspacer isfpreferablyformedf'ofV aiat triangular-shaped piece of metal.y Two long y1ugs`, 7 and 8, comprising part of twofsides of.

V the triangle, are adapted to be wrapped around the helical wrapping wire 2 ofthe ren Three other lugs 12, v13 and 14, disposed vbetweenthe4 two first-, A named lugs, are bent in yalternatev directions"8 v so that .they mayengage the reinforcing rod to hold the spacer "perpendiculartof-it.

In applying the spacer `to* arreinforcingw cage,"the luge? is wrapped about the helicalg; i

wire --2 by means of pliers. The lugs 12 and `l4xarebent;slightly,1asshown in Figsl`2 and 5,'toengzage the reinforcing. rod atoneside y of the wire 2 and the lug 13 is bent in them '4 opposite direction to engage the reinforcinggo rod at the other'sideof' the wire,the lug 8 being bentfaround the-wrappingwire in a directionopposite to that of lug7. 'l

The spacer. may -be punched out of a flat piece of metal by means of a punch provided@ '95 with a die for stamping out two spacers at a time, which are disposed in oppositev directions so as to utilize a minimum amount of material. The lugsmay be given an initialW bending, as shown in Fig. 4, such that onlyot the two Wrapping operations of the lugs 7 and 8 are necessary in applying the spacer.

My spacer provides means for accurately spacing a reinforcingcage away from the walls of a mold, so that a uniform layer of concrete is insured between the reinforcing cageand the surface of the pole. The spacer may be readily applied with a minimum amount of effort, is low in cost of manufacture, and does not disco'lo'r the surface of the 'pole when eX- posed to moisture.

Although I have described a specilicem-4 c,

bodiment of my invention, it is apparent 'that modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from lthe spirit and scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spacer for a reinforcing structure comprising a flat triangular shaped member,

the body portion of which is utilized for sp'acf ing the reinforcing structure from the mold,

a pointed portion forming one corner of the triangle for'engaging the mold, two ylugs forming the other two corners of the triangle `radapted to be fastened to the reinforcing structure and three lugs adapted to engage said reinforcing structure.

2. Means for use in making a concrete pole comprising a mold, a reinforcing means including a helical wire and spacing means comprising members of flat triangular shape each of which has a pointed apex toengage thesaid mold and a plurality of lugs along its opposite edge, the end lugs of said triangular member being bent over to,y at least partially, surround said helicalwire `and the intermediate llugs being bent to engage opposite sides of said wire.

3. Means for use in makinga reinforced concrete pole comprising a mold, a plurality y' `of longitudinal rods, fa helical wire surroundmg said rods and fastened thereto to form a cage and a'plurality of plates of triangular shape interposed between the cage and the mold, the inner edge of each plate `having a :plurality of? lugs to grip said wire and a plurality of lugs to engage the corresponding c rod. y

4; A spacer for supporting ra reinforcing framein a mold comprising a single flat trif angular member, one of the corners of which rests on the mold, and having a plurality of lugs at the opposite edge for gripping one member of the reinforcing frame, and yother lugs adapted to hold said spacer perpendicular to another member of said frame. i l

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of Sept., 1927.

EMIL E. HAWKIN-SON. 

